What it is: A superstition, by definition, is a belief or practice from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. Why it is important to Nigeria: The Igbo culture believed in superstitions and omens. It was thought that every sign and event had a reason and purpose. Suicide: Suicide is considered an omen. It is a big part of Igbo culture because they believed in reincarnation. Suicide was believed to be just as immoral as murdering someone else because they thought that they would not do well in the next life if they killed themselves in this one. It was thought that the "bad spirits" were the reason for the person killing themselves, so the Nigerians needed to make sure that the body was properly taken care of to get rid of the spirits. Special ceremonies were performed to completely get rid of these "evil spirits" so they would not haunt the rest of the community, especially the family. The Evil Forest: The Evil Forest is a very important place located across the stream in Things Fall Apart. This was a special place where Nigerians were sent physically alive or after death if they did not follow their religion. People who committed suicide is one example of the types of people who went there. According to IRIN, a humanitarian website, 30 witch doctors were arrested after police found mutated dead bodies in the forest. Some Africans believe that by performing these ceremonies in the forest, they would be given good luck. Body parts are often cut off from the dead bodies and worn on the Igbo people as charms on their bodies to protect themselves from the other "evil spirits" that were out to haunt them. This was one of the many ways they protected themselves.
Top: The Evil Forest
Middle: A ceremony
Bottom: An example of a superstition
What it is: A superstition, by definition, is a belief or practice from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation.
Why it is important to Nigeria: The Igbo culture believed in superstitions and omens. It was thought that every sign and event had a reason and purpose.
Suicide: Suicide is considered an omen. It is a big part of Igbo culture because they believed in reincarnation. Suicide was believed to be just as immoral as murdering someone else because they thought that they would not do well in the next life if they killed themselves in this one. It was thought that the "bad spirits" were the reason for the person killing themselves, so the Nigerians needed to make sure that the body was properly taken care of to get rid of the spirits. Special ceremonies were performed to completely get rid of these "evil spirits" so they would not haunt the rest of the community, especially the family.
The Evil Forest: The Evil Forest is a very important place located across the stream in Things Fall Apart. This was a special place where Nigerians were sent physically alive or after death if they did not follow their religion. People who committed suicide is one example of the types of people who went there. According to IRIN, a humanitarian website, 30 witch doctors were arrested after police found mutated dead bodies in the forest. Some Africans believe that by performing these ceremonies in the forest, they would be given good luck. Body parts are often cut off from the dead bodies and worn on the Igbo people as charms on their bodies to protect themselves from the other "evil spirits" that were out to haunt them. This was one of the many ways they protected themselves.
Top: The Evil Forest
Middle: A ceremony
Bottom: An example of a superstition
Works Cited
http://www.bookrags.com/notes/tfa/OBJ.htm 10/25/10
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superstition 10/25/10
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=50932 10/25/10
http://culture.chiamaka.com/igbo-suicide.html 10/25/10
Pictures
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